Device for Receiving a Drawer

ABSTRACT

A drawer which is laterally provided with two telescoping drawer guides, each of the two guides including a rail which, on the rear end thereof, can be pushed onto a rear receiving fitting on the body of the piece of furniture in the guiding direction, and on the front end thereof, can be engaged with a front receiving fitting on the body of the piece of furniture. A lateral snap-in pin projects from the rail close to the front end thereof, the snap-in pin being insertable, in the guiding direction, into a snap-in slit which is open towards the front and located on the front receiving fitting. A spring-loaded locking rocker secures the snap-in pin in the position thereof in the snap-in slit. The locking rocker can be displaced into a release position for releasing the snap-in tongue by actuating a release gear.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The invention relates to a means for the releasable receptacle of a drawer which is laterally provided with two telescopic drawer guides in a body of a piece of furniture with each of the two telescopic guides comprising a rail.

Drawers with telescopic drawer guides must be accommodated in the designated drawer opening of the body of a piece of furniture in a manner that ensures that, on the one hand, inadvertent complete pulling out of the drawer is prevented, and, on the other hand, it is possible to release the drawer so that it can be fully removed if this is desired, for example for cleaning purposes.

In known devices of drawers as described in the introduction the telescopic drawer guides are attached to, for example screwed to, the two lateral inside walls of the drawer opening of the body of the piece of furniture. The drawer is fastened to its respective guide rails and can be released. To accomplish this, the guide rail engages into a rear recess of the drawer at the rear end. At the same time the guide rail is fastened to a coupling device at the bottom of the drawer so that it can be released. To this end it is necessary to provide a means at the back edge of the drawer to provide the areas or recesses necessary so that the guide rail can engage. In addition, the design efforts for such coupling devices are relatively extensive, and the height of this coupling device reduces the useable space of the drawer.

It is known (US 2004/108 797 A1) to attach a lateral guide rail to a furniture drawer by inserting crown pins that protrude laterally from the furniture drawer into key hole shaped holes on the guide rail and, following a longitudinal shift of the guide rail, retaining them by means of a spring-loaded guide catch. However, this type of fastening requires a lateral shift between the drawer and the guide rail that is to be attached to it before the guide rail is moved into its lock-in position in longitudinal direction. Therefore, solely by inserting a furniture drawer in guide direction, it is not possible to fasten it on both lateral guide rails at the same time. The known device therefore is not suitable as a detachable receptacle of a drawer on a furniture piece.

It is desirable to provide a device for receiving a drawer as defined in the introduction that allows for the removal of the drawer from the body of the piece of furniture without much design effort.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a rail, on the rear end thereof, can be pushed onto a rear receiving fitting on the body of the piece of furniture in the guiding direction, and on the front end thereof, can be engaged with a front receiving fitting on the body of the piece of furniture, that a lateral snap-in pin projects from the rail close to the front end thereof, said snap-in pin being insertable, in the guiding direction, into a snap-in slit which is open towards the front and located on the front receiving fitting. A spring-loaded locking rocker secures the snap-in pin in the position thereof in the snap-in slit. The locking rocker can be displaced into a release position for releasing the snap-in tongue by actuating a release gear.

No additional work on the drawer is necessary to allow for the connection to the telescoping drawer guides. Inserting the drawer can be accomplished easily by inserting the drawer from the front until the rear end of the rail is in the rear receiving fitting and the front end engages with the front receiving fitting.

The locking rocker prevents an inadvertent pulling out of the telescopic drawer guides from the receiving fittings of the body of the piece of furniture. If the drawer is to be removed, the locking rocker can be displaced into a release position by actuating a release gear in which the locking means releases so that it can be pulled to the front and out of the snap-in slit. At the same time the rear end of the rail releases from the rear receiving fitting without requiring the release of any coupling devices or such. Since the connection of the rail at the rear end as well as at the front end is accomplished by a simple pushing motion, a slanted area can be used at the rear end in a simple manner to ensure that the telescopic drawer guides are lifted into the operating position at the end of the pushing process.

The locking means can be a snap-in tongue or a snap-in pin.

In a further development of the inventive thought the locking rocker pivots between its locking position and its release position by overcoming the force of a rocker spring. The locking rocker thus is a bi-stable means that is maintained in a spring position in its locking as well as in its release position until it is pivoted back into the respective other position. To this end it is practical if the locking rocker can be displaced from its locking position by the snap-in tongue until the snap-in tongue can be inserted into the snap-in slit and that the locking rocker then returns to its locking position. The locking rocker in the locking position therefore is overcome in a resilient manner due to the snap-in tongue when the drawer is inserted and then returns to the locking position to secure the snap-in tongue.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention a rocker arm of the locking rocker in the release position extends into the path of motion of the snap-in tongue and displaces the locking rocker due to the engagement of the snap-in tongue on the rocker arm in its locking position. This means that the locking rocker that is displaced into the release position for removing the drawer is displaced back into the locking position by the snap-in tongue when the drawer is pulled out so that the locking rocker is in the locking position when the drawer is inserted again. This ensures that one does not forget to return the locking rocker back into the locking position after the drawer is inserted again and that there is no possibility of inadvertently removing the drawer completely.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in more detail based on the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. The following is shown:

FIG. 1 shows the lateral view of a device for the releasable receptacle of a drawer before the drawer is completely inserted;

FIG. 2 shows the device according to FIG. 1 after the drawer is completely inserted;

FIG. 3 shows a partial view of the parts in the release position according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a view in the direction of the arrow in IV in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 shows a view in the direction of arrows V-V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows a section along line VI-VI in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7-9 show views similar to those in FIG. 1-3 and a somewhat modified embodiment with a rocker spring that acts only on the locking rocker;

FIG. 10 shows a lateral view of a modified embodiment of a device for the releasable receptacle of a drawer;

FIG. 11 shows a section or a view in the direction of arrows XI-XI in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 shows a bottom view of the device in the direction of arrow XII in FIG. 10 in the locked position;

FIG. 13 shows a view according to FIG. 12 in the position following the release of the locking rocker; and

FIG. 14 shows a bottom view according to FIG. 13 of the device in the position in which the outer rail of the telescopic drawer guides is partially pulled out.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The device shown in FIG. 1-9 is used to provide a releasable receptacle of a drawer 1 in the body of a furniture piece 2 (FIG. 4). A rear receiving fitting 4 and a front receiving fitting 5 are arranged on the two opposite lateral inside walls 3 of the body of the furniture piece. The terms “front” and “rear” refer to the opening in the body of the furniture piece that accommodates the drawer 1.

The two receiving fittings 4 and 5 are screwed to the respective inside wall 3 and are connected by a spacer rail 6.

The drawer 1 comprises a telescopic drawer guide 7 on each side with each having a rail 8. Arranged at the rear end of each rail 8 is a horizontal receiving slit 9 that expands towards the rear and that can be pushed from the front across a horizontal tongue 10 of the rear receiving fitting 4 protruding to the inside when the drawer is pushed into the body of the piece of furniture from the front. The upper edge of the receiving slit 9 transitions into an inclining stop edge (9 a) towards the rear.

A lateral, horizontal snap-in tongue 11 protrudes near the front end of each rail 8. A snap-in slit 12, which is open towards the front, is located on the front receiving fitting 5, into which the snap-in tongue 11 can be inserted from the front in the guiding direction, while the receiving slit 9 simultaneously is pushed over the tongue 10.

Based on the position shown in FIG. 1, the lateral rail 8 together with the drawer reaches the end position shown in FIG. 2. When the drawer is inserted, the outside rail 1 a of the telescopic drawer guide that is connected to the drawer glides on a horizontal guide leg 6 a of the spacer rail 6 until the inclining stop edge 9 a of the receiving slit 9 engages with the tongue 10. Due to the incline of the stop edge 9 a, the outside rail 8 and at the same time the wider drawer guide 1 a that is attached to the drawer 1 is lifted. The drawer guide 1 a that is indicated with a dash-dotted line in FIG. 1 thus reaches the indicated position above the spacer rail 6. This ensures that the mobile drawer guide 1 a moves freely and without friction across the leg 6 a of the spacer rail 6.

A two-armed locking rocker 13 is arranged in a pivoting manner on the front receiving fitting 5 around an axle 14 that extends laterally to the guiding direction. A release gear 5 is arranged in a pivoting manner around an axle 16 that extends laterally to the guiding direction. The release gear 15 has a touch area 17 that is accessible from the front.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 1-6, a leg spring 18 arranged on the axis 16 on the front receiving fitting 5 provides a rocker spring for the locking rocker 13 comprised of its first spring leg 19. With its second spring leg 20, the leg spring 18 pushes onto the back side of the touch area 17 to keep the release gear 15 in counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1 in its resting position shown in the Figure.

On the side that faces the spring leg 19, the locking rocker 13 has two stop faces 21 and 22 that are at an angle in relation to each other. The first spring leg 19 rests in the locking position of the locking rocker 13 on the stop face 22 as shown in FIG. 1. In the position of the locking rocker 13 shown in FIG. 2, the first spring leg 19 rests against the other stop face 21.

As is shown in FIG. 1, a rocker arm 23 of the locking rocker 13 in locking position (FIG. 1) extends into the path of motion of the snap-in tongue 11. When the snap-in tongue 11 is moved from the position shown in FIG. 1 backward into the snap-in slit 12, the locking rocker 13 is deflected from its locking position by the snap-in tongue 11 until the snap-in tongue 11 can be inserted into the snap-in slit 12. The locking rocker 13 subsequently returns into its locking position due to the effect of the rocker spring comprised of the spring arm 19 and retains the snap-in tongue 11 in the snap-in slit 12.

The locking rocker is comprised of a two-armed lever and has another rocker arm 24. In order to release the drawer from its locked position, one pushes on the touch area 17 from the front. The release gear 15 that is retained in its resting position by the spring force pushes against the stop face 22 of the locking rocker 13 with an actuation nose 25 when actuated and in this manner displaces the locking rocker 13 into its release position (FIG. 3) against the force of the spring leg 19.

In this release position that is shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the second rocker arm 24 of the locking rocker 13 in release position extends into the path of motion of the snap-in tongue 11. If the drawer, which now is released, is pulled out towards the front, the snap-in tongue 11 displaces the locking rocker 13 into the locking position shown in FIG. 1 by engaging with the rocker arm 24. Thus the locking arm 13 can be displaced between its locking position (FIG. 1) and its release position (FIG. 2) while overcoming the force of the rocker spring 19.

As soon as the snap-in tongue 11 overcomes the locking spring in the described manner, the drawer can be removed completely and it is no longer necessary to push down the release gear 15. As soon as the drawer is inserted again, the snap-in tongue 11 that rides on the upper side of the rocker arm 23 pivots the rocker arm 23 down until it allows the snap-in tongue 11 to pass. However, this does not yet put the locking rocker 13 into its release position as a second stable position, but rather it returns to the locking position as soon as the snap-in tongue 11 has passed the rocker arm 23.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 7-9 is different from the embodiment described above substantially only in that the release gear 15 arranged on the front receiving fitting 5 is not spring loaded. The locking rocker 13 is retained in its locking position (FIG. 7) as well as its release position (FIG. 9) by a rocker spring 27 that rests against an abutment 26 on the front receiving fitting 5. In the locking positions (FIG. 7), the point of impact 27 a of the rocker spring 27 is on the locking rocker 13 above the connecting line between the abutment 26 and the axis 14 of the locking rocker 13. This locking position thus is a first stable position of the locking rocker 13.

After the locking rocker is displaced in a counterclockwise direction against the force of the rocker spring 27 from this locking position by means of actuating the release gear 15 from this locking position (FIG. 8), the point of impact 27 a of the rocker spring 27 reaches a position below the connecting line between the abutment 26 and the axis 14. At the same time the locking rocker 13 rests against an abutment 28 on the front receiving fitting 5. The locking rocker 13 now is in a second stable position. In this release position (FIG. 9) that corresponds to the position shown in FIG. 2, the snap-in tongue 11 can be moved out from the snap-in slit 12 as already described and displaces the locking rocker 13 back into the starting position according to FIG. 7 when it passes the rocker arm 24.

The modified exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 10-14 is different from the described embodiment in that the snap-in means is not a laterally protruding snap-in tongue but rather a snap-in pin 29 that protrudes downward into the snap-in slit 12 that is arranged in a horizontal plate 30 of the front receiving fitting 5. The locking rocker 13′ is arranged in a pivoting manner around a vertical axis comprised of a vertical pin 31 on the plate 30 and can be pivoted from its snap-in position (FIG. 12) into its release position (13) against the force of a leg spring 18′. The locking rocker 13′ has a locking arm 32 on which a stop hook 33 is arranged that extends behind the snap-in pin 29 in the snap-in position and retains and secures it in the snap-in position (FIG. 12).

In this position the rear end of the rail 8 is fastened to a receiving hook 34 that is bent at a right angle from the rear receiving fitting 4.

The locking rocker 13′ has an actuating arm 35 that is arranged at a distance to the locking arm 32, on which a touch area 17′ is arranged, around which the locking rocker 13′ pivots against the force of the leg spring 18′ from its locking position shown in FIG. 12 into its release position shown in FIG. 13. After the stop hook 33 releases the snap-in pin 29, the rail 8 can be pulled out with the now released snap-in pin 29 moving along the snap-in slit 12.

The actuation arm 35 of the locking rocker 13′ that now is moved into the release position shown in FIG. 13 in order to release the snap-in pin 29 can be fixed in this release position.

To this end, the actuation arm 35 comprises a final section 36 on which a spring tongue 37 is arranged that is bent laterally in relation to the plate 30. In the release position (FIG. 13) of the locking rocker 13′, the tongue 37 snaps into the snap-in slit 12 and retains the locking rocker 13′ in the position that is shown.

From the extension 36 a tab 38 protrudes to the rear, i.e. towards the inside end of the snap-in slit 12 that is angled diagonally away from the plate 30 and thus forms a diagonal area against which the snap-in pin 29 runs during its forward motion (towards the right in FIG. 13). During its motion along the snap-in slit 12, the snap-in pin 29 that is released from its snap-in position engages with the diagonal area of the actuation arm 35 to release the actuating arm 35 from its fixed position diagonal to its pivot plane. The tongue 37 leaves the snap-in slit 12 and the locking rocker 13′ returns from its position shown in FIG. 13 into the position shown in FIG. 14 due to the spring effect of the leg spring 18′. The actuating arm 35 of the locking rocker 13′ thus can be fixed in the release position (FIG. 13) and can be released from this fixed position when the snap-in pin 29 moves past.

The stop hook 33 of the locking arm 32 has a front diagonal area 39 against which the snap-in pin 29 runs when it is inserted to the left into the snap-in slit 12 from the released position shown in FIG. 14. When the snap-in pin 29 is inserted, the stop hook 33 can be displaced against the spring force of the leg spring 18′ from the path of motion of the snap-in pin 29 and is retained by it in the snap-in position when the stop hook 33 returns into its retaining position according to FIG. 14.

To remove the drawer from the body of the furniture piece, the locking rockers 13′ are displaced by pushing on the touch areas 17′ on both laterally provided telescopic drawer guides so that the two snap-in pins 29 are released. The two rails 8 now can be removed together with the drawer.

It is understood that the device described above can be used in any kind of drawer guides that have a corresponding rail 8 on the outside. The details of the telescopic drawer guides are not of importance and therefore are not included in the drawings. Usually these are ball bearing or roller bearing guides. 

1. Device for releasably receiving a drawer, comprising: two telescopic drawer guides in a body of a piece of furniture with each of the two telescopic drawer guides comprising a rail, wherein the rail, on a rear end thereof, is adapted to be pushed onto a rear receiving fitting on the body of the piece of furniture in a guiding direction, and on a front end thereof, can be engaged with a front receiving fitting on the body of the piece of furniture, a lateral snap-in means projecting from the rail proximate the front end of the rail, the snap-in means being insertable, in the guiding direction, into a snap-in slit which is open towards the front end of the rail and located on the front receiving fitting, a spring-loaded locking rocker securing the snap-in means in the snap-in slit, and the locking rocker being adapted to be displaced into a release position for releasing the snap-in means by actuating a release gear.
 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the snap-in means is a laterally protruding snap-in tongue.
 3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the locking rocker can be displaced between its locking position and its release position by overcoming the force of a rocker spring.
 4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the locking rocker can be deflected by the snap-in tongue from its locking position until the snap-in tongue can be inserted into the snap-in slit, and the locking rocker then returns to its locking position due to the rocker spring.
 5. Device according to claim 2, wherein a rocker arm of the locking rocker extends into a path of motion of the snap-in tongue when in a release position of the locking rocker and displaces the locking rocker into the locking position due to engagement of the snap-in tongue on the rocker arm.
 6. Device according to claim 2, wherein the release gear is arranged on the front receiving fitting and is retained in a resting position due to spring force, and wherein the release gear moves the locking rocker into its release position when it is moved against the spring force.
 7. Device according to claim 6, wherein the release gear, when activated, pushes against the locking rocker with an actuation nose in order to displace the locking rocker into its release position.
 8. Device according to claim 3, wherein a leg spring arranged on the front receiving fitting makes up the rocker spring with a first spring leg and retains the release gear in its resting position with a second spring leg.
 9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the locking rocker, on a side that faces the first spring leg, has two stop faces that are at an angle in relation to each other, and wherein the first spring leg rests on one of the two stop faces in a locking position of the locking rocker and rests against the other stop face in the release position of the locking rocker.
 10. Device according to claim 2, wherein the release gear is arranged on the front receiving fitting and wherein the locking rocker is retained in its locking position as well as its release position by a rocker spring that rests against the front receiving fitting.
 11. Device according to claim 1, wherein the rail at its rear end comprises a receiving slit that expands towards the rear end of the rail that can be pushed across a horizontal tongue of the rear receiving fitting.
 12. Device according to claim 10, wherein an upper edge of the receiving slit transitions towards the rear end of the rail into an inclining stop edge.
 13. Device according to claim 1, wherein the snap-in means is a snap-in pin.
 14. Device according to claim 13, wherein the snap-in pin protrudes downward into the snap-in slit that is arranged on a horizontal plate of the front receiving fitting.
 15. Device according to claim 14, wherein the locking rocker pivots around a vertical axis and can be fixed in its snap-in position by a stop hook that pivots when the snap-in pin is inserted.
 16. Device according to claim 15, wherein an actuating arm of the locking rocker can be fixed in its release position and can be released by the snap-in pin when it travels past the fixed position.
 17. Device according to claim 16, wherein the snap-in pin that is released from the snap-in position can engage with a slanted area of the actuating arm when it moves along the snap-in slit in order to release the actuating arm from the fixed position by a spring deformation lateral to its swiveling plane. 